ItsAdamsFamily

We looked for a perfect class for my son to start him in Martial Arts this summer, we went to another one and he was in tears on his trial day. It was a totally different experience with Kaizen Dojo! My son beamed with excitement and joy after his trial day! He told us he would like to keep coming to class. Sensei Ford has a way with kids were they are comfortable even when they are still new to martial arts. It was fun, engaging, teaches them discipline and respect and gives young children the confidence to protect themselves. My son looks more confident and less awkward everyday! He just got promoted to yellow belt and we are so happy and proud of him, this is all thanks to Sensei Ford and Kaizen Dojo! Highly recommend and we are so lucky to have our son learn from the best Sensei!

Mari A.

Sensei Ford is a fantastic teacher! My 9 year old son has a disability and generally does not do well in a class setting but enjoys going to Kaizen Dojo. Sensei Ford is extremely patient and has a fun and positive yet firm teaching style that my son takes well to. He encourages my son to do his best even if it's not at the level of his peers.

I highly recommend Sensei Ford and Kaizen Dojo!

Krista S.

*Update*
My son was recently having serious issues with another boy at his school who was bullying him. He was getting tackled, thrown to the ground, body checked, called names, etc... As soon as I made Sensei Ford aware of the situation, he went above and beyond to help us. He emailed useful information on how to handle bullying situations and had me bring my son in to see him before dojo hours to work with him. He worked one on one with my son in various physical altercation scenarios to best help him defend himself, as well as what to say, and gave advice on how to emotionally think about the situation. He had him come in early to do this a few times until my son felt confident enough on his own. Sensei Ford has checked in often to see how it has been going. His advice and physical coaching were phenomenal and it worked! My son implemented what he learned for a few days and the boy is now leaving him alone. I really can't say enough about about the support Sensei has provided us. Not only did he give my son the tools and confidence to handle situations like this, but he also helped me in better handling these and also future situations that my son or any child might encounter.

Original
I have observed several different karate studios in different cities. Kaizen Dojo is the best one I have seen. Both Sensei Ford and Sensei Rich are great teachers and have a wonderful rapport with children. My 6 year old son has been attending classes with Sensei Ford for a year and a half and my 4 year old daughter started 3 months ago. Sensei Ford is kind, patient, and funny! He has a positive teaching style that encourages respect, discipline, and fun. He modifies his instruction to meet the age level and/or individual needs of his students and also applies the techniques and skills he teaches to real life situations. There are quite a few martial arts studios within 5 to 10 minutes of my house. I drive 40+ minutes round trip 3 times a week so my children can learn from Sensei Ford. He is that good.

Ren

Sensei Ford is an amazing teacher with so much experience as a Karate instructor. He is very charismatic, funny, and knowledgeable. Ever since I began practicing Karate with him more than 4 years ago, I was taught the fundamentals of what defines a martial art, as well as learn basic and advanced techniques of self-defense. Not only does he teach Karate, but Sensei Ford allows us to participate in a variety of events, whether it be Karate demonstrations or volunteering at the JCI carnival, thus also helping build our social connections and character. I'm grateful for having him as my Sensei!

Janice C.

A word of warning: this review is a long one! There wasn't a short way for me to write down all the details about what a great experience we've had so far at Kaizen Dojo, so here we go...

My 4-year old son has been taking karate classes at Kaizen Dojo for the last 9 months. Sensei Ford and his team of instructors are very good with the kids. They are patient and really know how to run each class so that the kids get a good balance of learning/practice coupled along with fun (and lots of laughter for everyone).

A typical class consists of warm-up, various drills and then each child practices the katas (forms) that they are currently learning... and if they're persistent enough in asking, the kids might be lucky enough to enjoy 1 to 2 games of dodge ball afterwards! Throughout the class, the instructors constantly give constructive feedback. Sensei Ford and his instructors genuinely care for the kids and their progress. They create a safe and fun environment for everyone. On the days when it seems that the kids are bouncing off the walls and have unlimited energy, Sensei Ford and Sempai Rich have a way with harnessing that extra energy and getting the kids to focus on improving their katas and skills.

Here's some color on our family's story at Kaizen Dojo. Six months ago during our first visit to the dojo, my son was extremely shy and refused to participate even though he was warmly welcomed by the instructors and students. My first impression of the dojo was that it was clean and well kept. The students were well behaved and seemed to really have fun during class, and on top of that, Sensei Ford was very friendly and easygoing, never once making me feel obligated to make a decision right away on whether to sign up for lessons. He encouraged me to bring my son back several times so that we could assess whether this would be the right fit for him.

Knowing in my heart that my son would have fun (if only he could come out of his shell), I brought him back consistently 2-3 times a week in hopes that he would start to participate. In the beginning, it was like pulling teeth and there were days when I would go home thinking, "Maybe he's not ready for karate classes." Sensei Ford patiently and diligently worked on gaining my son's trust by inviting him to join the class whenever he felt that he was ready (there was no pressure and Sensei Ford was very encouraging). During that month, my son began to get on the mat more often and join the class during drills. It finally came to the point where he stayed on the mat for the entire duration of the class (and actually enjoyed it)! As a parent, it was such a great feeling to see this and get confirmation that all of the time I spent bringing my son back to karate was not wasted. Fast forward to 5 months later, my son is really enjoying karate, has made so many new friends and has become more confident. In June, he was promoted to yellow belt and it was such a rewarding experience to see him accomplish this!

In my opinion, there are so many positive aspects related to learning martial arts. It's a given that you'll learn self-defense and gain self-confidence. There are other things that you'll learn that are less obvious but equally important like discipline, self-respect, comradery and humility. If you are looking for a safe, fun and supportive environment where your child will be able to learn all of this stuff, then please give Kaizen Dojo a try!

Tony Y.

My son Max has been going to Kaizen for about 4 years.  We love Sensei Ford.  Sensei Ford has a very different teaching style.  He would teach the kids to protect themselves, dodge, run away.  Unlike many other dojo's I've visited.  Many dojo's I see black belt kid running around,  but when you face a LARGE ENEMY, you might not win. (For example 8 yr old black belt vs 20 yr old punk)  Sensei Ford teaches them little by little, gives them confidence and we really see Max grew.  Also, this is a safe heaven, Sensei Ford will not force anything that kids do not want.  But he will teach the kids to discipline themselves.  He is training the good to be better, better to be the best, best to be great.  Our family respects his teaching style and appreciate Sensei Ford very much.

Brett N.

Kaizen dojo and Sensei William Ford are the absolute best! My oldest son started going there as a very shy boy and was very hesitant to even start. Sensei Ford was very compassionate and understanding and told us not to worry and he can come and observe the classes until he feels ready; until then, not to worry. Fast forward three years, and my young man now has a lot of confidence, is respectful and listens well, and has earned his tiger stripe (orange and black) belt, in part due to this wonderful Sensei. Sensei Ford is an excellent teacher in not just martial arts, but also important life lessons, and is a great instructor and role model for the community. He is engaging, listens to and cares for his students, while maintaining discipline and making sure the kids always get a good lesson and workout at the same time.
Since then, our middle boy has started karate right before the pandemic, however even through the shut down order is still able to participate though Sensei's innovative Zoom virtual classes. Whoever thought karate could still be so fun and comprehensive from home? Even with the reopening of businesses, Sensei is going double time and providing a safe, socially distant reopening with the proper social guidelines, while still offering the online zoom classes for those who are hesitant due to COVID concerns. Just shows another facet of his dedication and consideration for others.
All in all, please support this great dojo and asset to the community! Sensei Ford, Sensei Rich, Sensei Alvin, Miss Kylie, and everyone there are excellent! Five stars all around!

Kaile V.

I have been a student of the Kaizen Dojo for over five years now, and I can honestly say that deciding to train here was one of the best decisions I have ever made. From day one, head instructor, Sensei William Christopher Ford, and the other incredible instructors have all created a wonderful learning environment that encourages continual improvement and personal safety. This dojo not only offers classes in the primary style of karate taught, known as Shorin Ryu Karate, but also classes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Kali.

Sensei Ford is fantastic with children! All of the instructors at the Kaizen Dojo take part in teaching students to be safer and more confident, and are extremely patient, kind, and generous with their knowledge. Sensei Ford, along with martial arts, also teaches his students the importance of giving back and paying forward – as he has brought the community together on multiple occasions to support organizations and causes including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as well as local food and toy drives. Whether you are looking for a place to study martial arts, learn self defense, or even just get some exercise and have some fun, Kaizen Dojo is definitely a worthwhile location to check out for children, teens, and adults!